BraunElectric Razor for Men, Waterproof Foil Shaver, Series 9 9390cc, Wet & Dry Shave, with Pop-Up Beard Trimmer for Grooming, Cleaning & Charging SmartCare Center and Leather Travel Case, SilverGreenCircle Certified: Certified Energy Savings

Ok, so I have had a lot of earlier experience years ago with electric razors and found the experience very unsatisfying! I was prone to getting razor burn that was so common back in the day... my earliest experience was mostly on very early models I tried borrowing them from my dad, and then years later using various Norelcos...I gave up due to unsatisfying results, razor burn etc...I've always been an every other day shaver and for many of shaving years used blades. I remember liking the early Bic disposables a lot! Then later, when Gillette came out with the tri-blade fusions, I was sold... never looked back and have shaved that way for several years... so seeing a Braun unboxing video one day on youtube and being bored, i checked it out and loved the look of the Braun design and the cleaner/charger... I thought; Wow this looks like its come a LONG way... but I was skeptical... I started watching videos and comparing different models, everyone seemed to have their favorites and it came down to probably three names...I read reviews and kind of determined you likely would not go wrong with either of the top three, but it then would come down to design and accessories!After all my research, I settled on Braun because of design and the very cool accessories! I went with the series 9 and chose the cc version because of the cleaning charging stand, which I loved the idea of!Of course after I bought it, I was still looking at videos while awaiting its arrival... I started second guessing my decision and wondered if I shouldn't have gotten the pro version... the pro can come with either a leather case or the very cool charging case...I was really concerned also that maybe the pros shave was a bit better and because of my earlier experiences with electrics, I thought maybe I mighta erred and for the money I spent, I hated to think I had not gotten the best shaving version...The long and the short of it is, I did a lot more research and video reviews and came to the conclusion most of the differences with the pro were accessories and a new head design that is on some new pro models. The heads for the newest pro are not even available yet in the USA (to my knowledge) and when they are, any series 9 can use them! Phew! So I really hadn't made a mistake! At least in buying an inferior razor!Well today the razor arrived! Having a day off and 2 days growth of beard, (my beard I think is avg, not overly coarse or thick, not fair or light either!) I was excited to test it out!The worst part of a new Braun arriving is that it does not arrive charged! But I knew that having seen so many videos... charging time is only about 1 hour anyway, so I set up the cleaning charging base and installed the cleaning and lubricating fluid cartridge... then i had to wait...I let it sit for a couple of hours, (I had also started the cleaning cycle on it even though it was a brand new shaver, I figured a cleaning and lube couldn't hurt it!!) The cleaning is also a lube for the shaving heads, so why not.Anyway, I finally tried it out! It was still slightly damp from the cleaning, but not really wet, (a lot of people in reviews said it often does not fully dry for 24 hrs, but no biggie, its designed for the razor, your face, etc... and the smell is pleasant!)Bottom line? What a terrific shave! I did the initial shave and was surprised how quickly it took down my beard! I did go back over it again in a different direction after feeling my face, (which looked completely smooth!) and gave a few strokes in a different direction just to polish it up!My face felt mostly baby smooth! Something I am not used to even with a blade! It also went way faster than my normal shaving routine which I always normally do only after a shower!I am extremely happy with this razor! If the rest of my shaving goes like this, I am one lifelong Braun customer!!One or two last things, I found a charging travel case on ebay for about a hundred and decided to buy it! Under normal use, i will be using the cleaning charging stand to clean, charge and store it in my bathroom, but for flights/road trips of a week or so? I will use the travel/charge case to keep it charged until I return and can drop it into the cleaning charge stand.And lastly, I do plan to use the cleaning cartridges and stand as an everyday thing! It's funny, in many youtube unboxing reviews, I see people saying; I doubt I will use the cleaning charging stand... or some post videos of how you can save money washing out the cartridges and refilling them yourself... the cartridges do a very necessary and helpful service by both cleaning and disinfecting, and lubricating the shaver head!Yes, you can probably save a few pennies by washing them out and refilling as long as you are adding in the correct fluids, (and you need to make sure the right lubrication/disinfectant, etc is added) but the cartridges at the end of the life of it is NASTY! Check out a few youtube videos! The stand has been cleaning hairs, dirty grime and oil from your face and beard for a month or two!Personally, I don't need/want to handle it! Theres a pop off cover on the cartridges and you should save it and recover it if you plan on recycling or tossing it out so the nasty stuff isn't spilling out!I bought a 6 pack of cartridges and did an Amazon subscribe and save which put my cost, (with free shipping!) at about 5 bucks a cartridge! The cartridges last about a month or two depending on use...I'd rather spend the 50-60 a year and just buy the cleaning cartridges which help prolong the razor and the shaving cartridge's life! With proper care, shaving heads last up to 18 months! Spend your money on the cleaning cartridges and your razor and shaving heads will probably last longer!Hope this was helpful! So far I am very, very happy!

*1 YEAR AFTER PURCHASE REVIEW* About 10 years ago, I had a bad experience with an electric shaver. It felt like it was ripping the hairs out of my face instead of shaving them. That completely turned me off electric razors for a long time. But after getting this Braun Series 9 9390cc as an early fathers day gift last year, I can honestly say it changed everything.This razor has been 100 percent smooth and pain free. No pulling. No irritation. Just a clean, comfortable shave every time. I use it several times a week and it has no problem with thick stubble - while it struggles a little around the neck and ears, it's still great.The battery life is outstanding. I’ve taken it on work trips and vacations without ever worrying it would die mid-trip. One charge lasts for weeks.The cleaning station works well and keeps the razor fresh. I have noticed it sometimes leaves the shaver head a little damp even after sitting overnight. Not a problem - smells pleasant, just something I’ve observed.Why I recommend it:• Clean and comfortable shave• No irritation or pulling• Excellent, and I mean EXCELLENT battery life, great for travel• Easy to clean and maintain• Seems built to last - this review is 1-year after purchase.If you’ve ever had a bad experience with electric razors, this one will completely change your mind. Braun got it right.

Excellent razor!! I had a Series 7 for eight years. Still worked great but didn’t realize how loud it had become until I got this Series 9. Back to liking forward to shaving in morning. New design on side trimmer is better. And the larger shave head gets it done. Very pleased! Great quality. Happy with purchase.

Over the course of the last two months I tried multiple high end shavers (with cleaning stations) over time, to try and see which offers the best shaving and user experience.TL;DR:---------After trying top of the line wet & dry from Braun (both 7 & 9) and Panasonic (Arc 5 - LV9N model) - I ended up keeping both the Braun series 7 and the Panasonic Arc 5. In my testing, the Arc 5 offers the best shaving, even if marginally so, and I prefer it as my everyday shaver. However, the Braun 7 comes close, and it is more compact, thus making it my travel choice, and why I ended keeping both. Braun 7 also offers best value for money. The Braun 9, in my opinion, offers no real advantage over the Braun 7, yet costs more and is bigger.Disclaimer--------------After reading plenty of reviews online - it appears that unlike many other types of products, there is no one answer here. Each shaver has different design and therefore works better on specific types of faces. So what works best for me may not work best for you and vice versa. This is why I ended up buying and trying few of these products…Having said that… review in depth:The Competition----------------------I initially bought the Braun 7 (Wet&Dry, 7865cc) and was actually very happy with it. So happy that I realized I will be moving to shaving with a shaver from now (vs Gillette blades), so I decided to check out maybe there are benefits buying a higher end model.I then ordered the Braun 9 (Wet&Dry, 9290cc). In my opinion it offered no real benefit so I ended up returning it.Then I ordered the Panasonic Arc 5. Note that the Arc 5 has two “current” models - the LV95 (which is not noticeably more expensive than the Braun series 7), and the LV9N, which is still new and therefore costs 300$. The latter is considered to have better comfort over the former, and given that my neck area is a tad sensitive I figured it was worth the extra. The LV9N is the one reviewed here - I have no experience with the LV9S.Quality of Shave----------------------Naturally, this is the most important feature of a shaver, so I will start with that. I find all three shavers to offer really good shaving. In fact, I was very skeptical coming into this (I used to shave with Gillette up until this point), and while none of these offer as smooth as a shave, the difference is really, really, small.The Braun 7 was the firs tin the bunch, and I was really surprised with the closeness of the shave it offers. I got into this “adventure” a bit skeptical, but after trying the Braun 7 I realized this is good enough for me 99% of the time, and is faster and more comfortable than regular shaving.I then tried the Braun 9 to see if it can offer closer more comfortable shave as suggested by some reviews. It did not, not for me at least. Even though the head is larger and there are more cutting blades, I did not feel any real difference. Apparently one of the big selling points of the Braun 9 is its ability to better cut longer hair (3+ days of growth). This is not a real use case for me so I did not see an advantage there. In both one day old hair and two days old hair - the results were quite identical. (As a side note I will say this - I find that going over 2 days without shaving makes it quite hard for a shaver to get great results. In the few instances where I skipped shaving, I realized it was easier to just use a cassette blade for that).Finally I tried the Panasonic Arc 5. The Arc 5 is also quite big - but here you get something in return. The shave is ever so closer. Is it a huge diff? Not really…. But when shaving one side Braun and the other Panasonic, my wife can always tell which one is the Panasonic one. This is true right after shaving, and also 3 or 6 hours after). It is also a tad faster to shave with, esp with one day long hair, although again, the difference is small, as I need to do a similar process with all shavers (i.e. I can go only in a single directions on my face, but have to criss-cross in my neck area which is harder to shave - and that is true with all 3 shavers).Comfort of Shave-----------------------Comfort of shave was the biggest concern for me going into this. Roughly 20 years ago I tried buying a shaver and was very distressed by the rash I got. I gave up shavers since and not tried them until now. I can say all three shavers are very good in this respect.The Braun 7 is a very comfortable shaver. I had very very mild itching in the first couple of days in my neck (which is sensitive), but they went away and never had a problem since, even when skipping 2-3 days of shaving.The Braun 9 is similarly comfortable. Some claims say it is more comfortable, and that may be true for some - but I did not feel any difference.Regarding the Arc5 - It’s hard for me to give a similar review as I tried it already after using the braun for some weeks (and thus my skin got used to the electric shaving first). Today, I do not feel any difference in comfort between the Arc 5 and the Braun 7. I can, however, say that in the second or third day of using the Arc 5, I had some rash on my neck - it was a combination of shaving rather “aggressively” (i.e. pushing) and having a day with a lot of physical labor (i.e. sweating), so it’s hard to put all the blame on the Arc 5. Nonetheless, it was there and it was so notable I skipped shaving the day after to let it relax. This has not occurred since again, and so now they offer similar comfort. Some reviews I read on the previous model (the LV95) suggest comfort is a little less perfect there, so point to be taken.Handling------------I like holding the Braun 7 the best. It is compact (which also makes it better for travel), and it feels more solid (probably because of the size/weight ratio). I also like the type of plastic it is made of. It’s a great shaver, really. Both Arc 5 and The Braun 9 are noticeably larger, which is sort of a disadvantage, esp. above the lips area. They also feel less solid (even though they are not), with the Braun 9 scoring the last place here in my opinion. The Arc 5 has the best locking and trimming mechanism in my eyes, and also offers two axis of movement for the (large) head, while the Braun 7 only offers one axis of movement (but its smaller head makes it a little less required). Bottom line, if they all shaved the same, I would use only the Braun 7.Display----------The Braun 7 has a very basic “display” while the Arc 5 offers more data and the Braun 9 even more. If you ask me - this is all complete waste of electronics and cost. The only thing to really care about is battery life. The braun 7 is a little more basic in it, while the Braun 9 and Arc 5 offers more granular data (Arc 5 shows it in percentage in jumps of 10%). The rest of the data, like “how long did you shave” etc - is meaningless, at least to me. In any case, for my use case, the Arc 5 and Braun 7 are “opposite”. The Arc 5 offers more granular battery life, but I intend to use it at home only, whereas the Braun 7 is intended for travel. I would consider all of this non-decision point anyway.Cleaning Station----------------------All three models come with cleaning stations. For me this was non negotiable as I do not like to waste time on cleaning etc. Looking back, I may have bought the Braun 7 without the cleaning station as it is mostly for travel, although I think even this way I would be happy to come back from a business trip and just throw it to the cleaning station rather than starting to take it apart.All 3 cleaning stations seem to be working similarly well, although in different approaches. The Braun stations look a little cooler, and offer a 3 level indicator as to how dirty the shaver is (low/medium/high), where as the Panasonic Arc 5 only shows you where it thinks you should clean it or not.The Brauns use “cassettes” of cleaners which come with the fluid inside. It is flammable and thus harder to carry with you for travel if you travel longer and want to carry the unit. They are also harder to order (will only ship by ground shipping etc.), and more expensive. The Panasonic uses a soap based solution which comes in nice small packets. It takes a few seconds longer to mix it with water but its not a big deal.Bottom line - hardly a decision making point either…Conclusion---------------You can’t go wrong with either of these models. As I said above - I ended up staying with the Braun 7 as my travel shaver and the Arc 5 as my home shaver and I’m happy with both.